PHOTO: Mike Wells scored a popular first career Modified victory at Airborne Speedway on Saturday night. (Ricky St. Clair/VMM photo)

–by Ricky St. Clair
VMM Correspondent

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — At first it looked like Martin Roy would set sail on Saturday night and pick up his second checkered flag of the year at Airborne Speedway.

And then Mike Wells decided to play the role of a spoiler.

After Roy appeared to have a tire going down with just under six laps to go in the main event for the Ernie’s Discount Tools DIRTcar Modified division, Wells — to the delight of the hometown crowd — would make a banzai move in Turn 2 to grab the top spot from 2009 track champion Roy on lap 25.

The veteran West Chazy, N.Y., driver then went on to claim his first career Modified win aboard his No. 76 G&G Auto Parts machine.

“I wasn’t really sure I had him,” Wells said in the garage area following his first career victory. “It looked to me like he had a right front tire going away, but I wasn’t really sure. I said, ‘Well, maybe he got into the marbles,’ and I know that once those guys jump out to the lead, they’re gone.”

Wells, who jumped to 16th in the point standings after his victory, was more than ecstatic to pick up his first career win.

“My boys worked really hard for this deal,” Wells said. “We’ve got ten or twelve guys always hanging around the garage working on this thing. To tell you the truth, I never expected this. I’ve been wrecked three times this year. It cost me a lot of money to put it back together. I race out of my pocket and it’s hard to race out of your pocket against these bunch of guys.”

Patrice McGrail of Candiac, Que., finished a season-best second with Morrisonville, N.Y.’s Andy Heywood third, Sheldon, Vt.’s Aaron Bartemy fourth, and Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y., fifth. Positions six through ten went to Vince Quenneville, Jr., Kris Vernold, Maxime Viens, Martin Hebert, and Don Scarborough.

Bucko Branham of Plattsburgh picked up his first Sportsman checkered flag of 2011 on Saturday night and his 26th victory since 2002.

Branham used three caution periods within the first two laps of the event to go from tenth to sixth, then got underneath Brandon Atkins in Turn 4 on lap 7 to solidify himself in the top spot. The veteran would lead the remainder of the 25-lap event and hold off all challengers after a lap 19 restart.

The top five was rounded out by Morrisonville’s Danny Sullivan in a career-best second, then Mooers Forks, N.Y., driver Jamy Begor and Plattsburgh drivers Robin Wood and Nick Heywood.

Kevin Boutin of Swanton, Vt., picked up his first victory of his Renegade title defense campaign. The 2010 track champion worked his way from his eighth starting position to the top spot in just nine laps. Robbie Favreau, Lance Raboty, Joe Warren, and Jason McClatchie rounded out the unofficial top five.

With the victory and an engine grenading on previous point leader Robert Gordon, Boutin will enter next week’s racing card as the Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade points leader by 23 markers, unofficially.

Chris LaVair of Gabriels won the Keeseville NAPA Auto Parts Mini-Modified makeup feature from June 11 earlier in the night while Plattsburgh’s Jamie LaFountain claimed the checkers in the nightcap. Josh Durivage of West Chazy picked up win number five on the season by winning the Busch Beer Bomber feature.

Weekly racing at Airborne Speedway continues next Saturday night as Adirondack Hardware Company will sponsor the racing program. Fans will have an opportunity to meet the drivers of the Airborne half-mile with an autograph session on the speedway at 5:15pm. Post time is slated for 6:00pm.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Champlain Valley Electric/Nortrax Night
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Saturday, July 9, 2011

Pos.-Driver-Hometown

Ernie’s Discount Tools DIRTcar Modified
1. Mike Wells, West Chazy, N.Y.
2. Pat McGraile, Candiac, Que.
3. Andy Heywood, Morrisonville, N.Y.
4. Aaron Bartemy, Sheldon, Vt.
5. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
6. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, Vt.
7. Kris Vernold, Kingsbury, N.Y.
8. Maxime Viens, St. Cesaire, Que.
9. Martin Hebert, St. Cesaire, Que.
10. Don Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.

J&S Steel Sportsman
1. Bucko Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Danny Sullivan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
3. Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, N.Y.
4. Robin Wood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Nick Heywood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
6. Jimmy Bushey, Mooers Forks, N.Y.
7. Shawn Duquette, Morrisonville, N.Y.
8. Craig Bushey, Jeffersonville, Vt.
9. David Rabtoy, Swanton, Vt.
10. Travis Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.

Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade
1. Kevin Boutin, Swanton, Vt.
2. Robbie Favreau, Peru, N.Y.
3. Lance Rabtoy, Fairfax, Vt.
4. Joe Warren, West Chazy, N.Y.
5. Jason McClatchie, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
6. Joe Daniels, Saranac, N.Y.
7. Mark Caron, Peru, N.Y.
8. Don Franklin, Milton, Vt.
9. Rick Doner, Ausable Forks, N.Y.
10. David Drake, Ausable Forks, N.Y.

Keeseville NAPA Auto Parts Mini-Modified (June 11 make-up)
1. Chris LaVair, Gabriels, N.Y.
2. Kris Clark, Keeseville, N.Y.
3. Erick Sayles, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
4. Speedy Bresette, Castleton, Vt.
5. Jamie LaFountain, Keeseville, N.Y.
6. Eric Reyell, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Josh Lavarnway, Chazy, N.Y.
8. Larry Archer, Peru, N.Y.
9. Scott Richner, Rouses Point, N.Y.
10. John Bradley, Morrisonville, N.Y.

Keeseville NAPA Auto Parts Mini-Modified (Regular feature)
1. Jamie LaFountain, Keeseville, N.Y.
2. Kris Clark, Keeseville, N.Y.
3. Speedy Bresette, Castleton, Vt.
4. Chris LaVair, Gabriels, N.Y.
5. Josh Leclaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
6. Erick Sayles, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
7. Josh LaPorte, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
8. John Bradley, Morrisonville, N.Y.
9. Eric Reyell, Morrisonville, N.Y.
10. Josh Lavarnway, Chazy, N.Y.

Busch Beer Bomber
1. Josh Durivage, West Chazy, N.Y.
2. Bill Joyal, Sr., Ausable Forks, N.Y.
3. Tyler Bresette, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
4. Curtis Lagrave, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Chad Hendrie, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. JohnMichael Bresette, Keeseville, N.Y.
7. Travis Sherman, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
8. Rob Sines, Dannemora, N.Y.
9. Dale O’Neil, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
10. Jason Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.